Her presence in Eugene adds further star power to a race already featuring several of the sport’s leading names.

Russell heads into the meeting as the reigning Olympic champion and is pursuing her first Diamond League title after enjoying her most successful campaign in the series last season. The American recorded her maiden Diamond League victory in Silesia in August 2025, setting a series record of 12.19 seconds.

Stark, another American contender, also impressed during last year’s Diamond League campaign, setting meeting records in Keqiao, Stockholm and Paris before claiming a bronze medal at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Jamaica’s Williams arrives in Eugene as one of the most experienced competitors in the field, having won two world titles, most recently in Budapest in 2023, as well as the Diamond League crown in 2019.

The Prefontaine Classic will serve as the ninth meeting of the 2026 Diamond League season, which begins in Doha on May 8 and concludes with the two-day series final in Brussels on September 4 and 5.

The annual circuit brings together many of the world’s leading athletes across 15 cities on four continents, with Eugene traditionally regarded as one of the most prestigious stops on the calendar.